1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording medium and a method for recording three-dimensional video data, and more particularly to a method for generating and storing three-dimensional video data in a format having a structure compatible with the MPEG 14496-12 ISO base media file format.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical media file format basically includes a header part for recording information of the media and a video data part for storing compressed media data. However, while the typical media file format is appropriate for storage of simple video data, it is not appropriate as a general structure for storing various types of media.
In this regard, the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), which is an international standard organization, in standard ISO/IEC 14496 defines the MPEG-4 ISO base media file format as a basic file format commonly applicable to various applications. The ISO base media file format has been designed to hierarchically store a compressed media stream and data (e.g., such as configurative information) related to the media stream in multiple containers. The ISO base media file format does not basically define an encoding or decoding scheme, but defines a basic structure for effectively storing an encoded or decoded media stream.
MPEG-4 consists of several standards—termed “parts”—including the following:
PartNumberTitleDescriptionPart 1ISO/IECSystemsDescribes synchronization and14496-1multiplexing of video and audio.For example Transport stream.Part 2ISO/IECVisualA compression codec for visual14496-2data (video, still textures, syn-thetic images, etc.). One of themany “profiles” in Part 2 is theAdvanced Simple Profile (ASP).Part 3ISO/IECAudioA set of compression codecs for14496-3perceptual coding of audiosignals, including some variationsof Advanced Audio Coding(AAC) as well as otheraudio/speech coding tools.Part 4ISO/IECConformanceDescribes procedures for testing14496-4conformance to other parts of thestandard.Part 5ISO/IECReference SoftwareProvides software for demonstrat-14496-5ing and clarifying the other partsof the standard.Part 6ISO/IECDelivery Multimedia14496-6IntegrationFramework (DMIF).Part 7ISO/IECOptimized ReferenceProvides examples of how to14496-7Softwaremake improved implementations(e.g., in relation to Part 5).Part 8ISO/IECCarriage on IPSpecifies a method to carry14496-8networksMPEG-4 content on IP networks.Part 9ISO/IECReference HardwareProvides hardware designs for14496-9demonstrating how to implementthe other parts of the standard.PartISO/IECAdvanced VideoA codec for video signals which1014496-10Coding (AVC)is technically identical to theITU-T H.264 standard.PartISO/IECScene description Can be used for rich, interactive1114496-11and Applicationcontent with multiple profiles,engine(“BIFS”)including 2D and 3D versions.PartISO/IECISO Base Media FileA file format for storing media1214496-12Formatcontent.PartISO/IECIntellectual Property1314496-13Management andProtection (IPMP)Extensions.PartISO/IECMPEG-4 File FormatThe designated container file1414496-14format for MPEG-4 content,which is based on Part 12.PartISO/IECAVC File FormatFor storage of Part 10 video based1514496-15on Part 12.PartISO/IECAnimation Frame-1614496-16work eXtension(AFX).PartISO/IECTimed Text subtitle1714496-17format.PartISO/IECFont Compression1814496-18and Streaming (forOpenType fonts).PartISO/IECSynthesized Texture1914496-19Stream.PartISO/IECLightweight Applica-2014496-20tion Scene Represen-tation (LASeR).PartISO/IECMPEG-J Graphical(not yet finished - at “FCD” stage2114496-21Frameworkin July 2005, FDIS JanuaryeXtension (GFX)2006).PartISO/IECOpen Font Format(not yet finished - reached “CD”2214496-22Specification (OFFS)stage in July 2005)based on OpenTypePartISO/IECSymbolic Music(not yet finished - reached “FCD”2314496-23Representationstage in October 2006)(SMR)
Profiles are also defined within the individual “parts”, so an implementation of a part is ordinarily not an implementation of an entire part.
However, such a media file format, which has a structure defined in order to store two-dimensional video, is not appropriate for storage of three-dimensional video including a stereoscopic image and various media data. Therefore, there is a need for a data storage format defined in consideration of a structure of a stereoscopic image. Simultaneously, such a stereoscopic image is required to have a data storage format compatible with the ISO base media file format, which is an international standard, so that it can be applied to various multimedia applications. In particular, the data storage format must be compatible with 14496-12 ISO base media file format which is referred to in FIG. 7A.